By Brad Cook

“In all the universe, the only power beyond the mind’s comprehension is the power to comprehend the power of the mind,” we’re told at the beginning of Sam & Max’s latest adventure, The Devil’s Playhouse. Woah. You just blew our minds, narrator guy.

And then we’re thrown into the story in media res, as the Romans would say: our favorite pair of unflappable gumshoes — the ill-tempered “rabbity thing” Max and the affable six-foot-tall anthropomorphic dog Sam — have been captured by General Skun-ka’pe, an intergalactic gorilla with a bad attitude and an intense desire to blow everything on Earth to smithereens.

Did we mention that Max has newfound psychic abilities? They’ll come in handy as you spring Sam and Max from their cell and send Skun-ka’pe into The Penal Zone, which also happens to be the title of The Devil’s Playhouse’s first episode. Max uses various Toys of Power to gain the ability to teleport to any phone number’s location and assume the form of any inanimate object; they’re just the beginning of what he’s able to do over the course of this five-chapter rollercoaster ride.

First Notes of Carnage to Come

Skun-ka’pe’s defeat is just the start of Sam and Max’s latest adventure of intergalactic and supernatural proportions. As narrator guy notes when he returns, the opening sequence is “the overture, if you will, of a five-part symphony of mayhem.” Like the overtures that set the mood for such classic epics as “Lawrence of Arabia,” the battle against Skun-ka’pe establishes the tone for what will be a wild, pun-filled ride through worlds previously unseen.

We quickly learn that the beginning battle of “The Penal Zone” was merely a vision of the future experienced by both characters. Will it come to pass? The narrative shifts to an earlier timeframe, when Skun-ka’pe has just arrived on Earth with a promise to spread peace and love, once he finds an artifact. He takes an interest in Max after learning that the diminutive hothead is President of the United States. (See Sam & Max Save the World to learn how that happened.)

As in Telltale’s other adventure games, such as Tales of Monkey Island, you collect items and use them to solve puzzles during the course of the story; Sam carries a large .44 revolver that sometimes serves a purpose. You can switch control between our heroes at will, which is key to overcoming many obstacles: use one of Max’s psychic powers to complete a goal, and then rely on Sam to deliver the coup de grace.

And don’t forget to speak to other characters at every opportunity. Not only are the conversations amusing, but they impart plenty of vital information and make available new options in the gameplay that require you to complete certain interactions.

To Be Continued…

At the end of “The Penal Zone,” narrator guy returns once more, still dressed in a tuxedo and sporting his slick pompadour, to tell us that he’ll be back in the coming chapters to answer all questions raised during the story, including this one: Where the heck did skeletons of Sam and Max come from?

The Devil’s Playhouse continues in “The Tomb of Sammun-Mak,” “They Stole Max’s Brain!”, “Beyond the Alley of the Dolls,” and “The City That Dares Not Sleep.” Stay tuned, fearless adventurers.

A Clue to His Canine Origins? Sam points the way to their latest adventure.

A Smelly Situation. Our deductive duo interviews the proprietor of Stinky’s Diner. (Her true form is a cake; it’s a long story.)

The Power of the Mind. Pick one of Max’s psychic abilities with the magic wheel.

If you liked this game, check out:

• A Vampyre Story
• The Abbey
• Ankh
• Ankh II: Heart of Osiris
• Ankh: Battle of the Gods
• Disney’s Toontown Online
• Jack Keane
• The Path
• Pirates of the Caribbean Online
• Riddle of the Sphinx II: The Omega Stone
• The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
• Secret of the Lost Cavern
• Tales of Monkey Island
• Tomb Raider Anniversary
• Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates

System Requirements:

• Mac OS X version 10.5
• Intel Core 2 Duo processor
• Video Card: Intel integrated graphics chipsets not recommended